September 20. Hard as it is for Torontonians to admit to envying anything Calgarian, this group of developers, architects and urban activists was practically drooling over Calgary’s mayor. Naheed Nenshi is a Harvard grad (okay, we had one of those, but still…) who advocates for walkable cities and was the grand marshal of the Calgary Pride Parade. He was in town to deliver the first annual Urban Futures lecture, put on by star architects Jack Diamond and Donald Schmitt at the glistening Corus Quay building (a Diamond and Schmitt design) next to Sugar Beach. “In his short time as mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi has grasped the issues facing cities better than anyone,” said Diamond. If it wasn’t obvious at the outset that this was the mayor most of the guests wished Toronto had, it was by the end, when Nenshi was peppered with so many questions that Diamond had to call time. As attendees spilled onto the patio for the reception, one guest was overheard saying, “He even pronounces ‘library’ correctly.”

You know, the fawning over Calgary’s mayor is getting embarassing. Fact is, he’s talked alot, but hasn’t actually DONE anything yet, and all of his talk is exactly the same kind of stuff David Miller (who was practically chased out of office by the same people now wishing Nenshi was our Mayor) was saying 7 or 8 years ago.

Calgary as a city is in a very different position than Toronto – one, its MUCH smaller, less spread and therefore easier to manage, two its the home base of the prime minister and the core of the base for his party’s support (so Harper has plenty of incentive to be friendly, unlike Toronto, where no Western-based politician has any incentive to be friendly to Toronto), and three, its situated in a province that’s booming with essentially free revenue from oil and gas royalties, so there’s lots of money to play with.

In other words, very easy for him to to say lots of great things, because he doesn’t really have to make tough fiscal decisions – there’s no “either or” in Calgary right now, because the City, like the province, is flush.

This is not to suggest that he doesn’t SEEM like a good guy – I’m just suggesting we hold off of all the accolades until there’s actually a record of accomplishment, and not just nice words that we like to hear. This guy is basically Calgary’s David Miller – We’ll see if he gets similar treatment at the end of two terms.

Mayor Nenshi has made tough decisions including a tunnel to the international airport, which will increase property taxes, in the meantime he installed free shuttle bus service from downtown to the airport. He’s dealt with secondary suites … until now illegal … begun & saw the first of many affordable living projects. Calgary is spread out over a larger area than Toronto (from whence I came). It is poorly laid out but it encompasses a larger area than TO. Has TO ever had a Muslim mayor? a mayor who is blessed with common sense who sees clearly? Did you know that by law when Billy Allen became mayor of Toronto High Park could have been turned into housing or whatever the city chose, because Mr. Allen was a Catholic? Yes Alberta is the home of the Prime Minister – I live in his riding, trust me we are not treated any better, pot holes so big my dog fell into one, snow is never removed from streets or roads, we all pray for Chinooks. If the city were flush why is it that our taxes will go up a minimum of 5.6% every year for the next five? We are not flush, you are wearing your oil smeared glasses. This is not the best city in the country, don’t think there is but a dozen a liberals to be found, but we’re gaining slowly. But the sun shines 300days a year and we have no PST or HST.